Editorial: Excellent time for a state pension storm
Here’s hoping this is the storm before the calm. With the election over, the public conversation in Illinois is turning — thankfully — to the state’s pension crisis. What crisis, you ask? The one that has but two outcomes if the state Legislature fails to …
Editorial: Give driving IDs to illegal immigrants
Right now, tens of thousands of illegal immigrants are driving on Illinois roads. Because they are undocumented, they can’t get driver’s licenses, and they can’t get insurance. To remedy that, immigrant rights groups and others are pushing for legislation that would allow illegal immigrants to …
Editorial: A deadline for Jackson
Will he stay or will he go? That is entirely up to U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr., unless federal prosecutors force the issue. But if the congressman is planning to plead guilty to federal charges and resign, he should do so on or shortly before …
Editorial: Northwestern signs on to future
We don’t know what the university of the future is going to look like. But Northwestern University, Notre Dame and eight other institutions of higher learning seem a step closer to getting there, and the possibilities are exciting. On Thursday, the schools announced a new …
Editorial: Code of silence or code of cowardice?
In a tight spot, every cop has to know that every other cop has his back. He can’t go down a dark and dangerous gangway any other way. But every law-abiding Chicagoan confronted by an out-of-control cop should feel that same assurance, that somebody has …
Editorial: Cease fire on knocking CeaseFire for now
Is it time for some conflict intervention here? In an interview with the Chicago Sun-Times this week, a high-ranking Chicago cop, who was not named, criticized the anti-violence group CeaseFire for having “no significant success stories.” CeaseFire, which is affiliated with the University of Illinois …
Editorial: Truth about elementary school tests scores will hurt
Illinois parents and schoolkids, brace yourselves. Your collective sense of self-esteem is about to take a hit. For years, state elementary school test scores have been inflated, leaving the false impression that public school students are doing pretty well. Scores released Oct. 31 showed that …
Editorial: Let’s get back to rewarding true merit
If the United States were a healthy meritocracy, where talent and hard work pretty much determined how far we go in life, fair-minded people wouldn’t be demanding that rich people pay more in taxes. The general feeling would be that the race is fair and …
Editorial: Dec. 15 parade honors post-9/11 veterans
Johnny is marching home again — all our brave young men and women — and we cannot do enough for them. We cannot give them too much medical care, too much free tuition, too many handshakes and hugs. We cannot applaud enough when they walk …
Editorial: An elected school board isn’t answer, but changes needed
Does the Chicago Board of Education have a democracy problem? Without a doubt. Chicago teachers went on strike in part because they felt ignored and put-upon by Mayor Rahm Emanuel and his appointed school board. And now this: On Tuesday, a referendum asking some Chicago …
Editorial: Insiders knock democracy off the ballot
The U.S. Supreme Court follows the election returns, early Chicago columnist Finley Peter Dunne told us, even though it’s not supposed to. Too bad the U.S. House of Representatives doesn’t do so as well. In Tuesday’s elections, Democratic congressional candidates did as well or better …
Editorial: Time to give the boot to bad judges
Lots of hand-wringing is going on in legal circles this week after several blatantly incompetent Cook County judges running for retention won new terms. Four judges were deemed incompetent by the major bar associations that rate judges, and a fifth was rejected by half of …
Editorial: Gay marriage victories a big step for U.S.
Opponents of same-sex marriage have proudly noted for years that gay marriage never wins when it’s put to voters. On Tuesday, that potent argument took a serious hit. Maine and Maryland became the first states to approve gay marriage by popular vote. Washington State appeared …
Editorial: A quack at reform
Maybe now, during a rare seven-day window of opportunity, the Illinois General Assembly can fix the single biggest threat to our state’s financial well-being — the enormous burden of public employee pensions. Tuesday’s election has set the stage in Springfield for what one veteran legislator …
Editorial: Now, Obama needs partner in progress
If your man gets re-elected, we recently asked a top aide to President Barack Obama, how will he accomplish anything in the face of continued unyielding opposition from House Republicans? They’ll come around, the aide said, if only to save their own skins. Having failed …
